In some circles, the Handmaid's Tale got a lot of flack for being some very left-leaning overtly feminist bloat or something or other.
In other circles, it was admittedly made to be an insufferable symbol of 'anti-fascism' or something. Every disagreement with right wing actions resulted in women going out in droves wearing the iconic red veils to emphasise oppression or something.
But ignoring all that, the show was exceptional.
Six seasons, and it actually wrapped up properly, which adds points to it regardless. It's rare these days for a show to figure out how to end, either by straying from the original source material, or just stretching things out as long as the money lasts, and then having to quickly pull the plug. Dexter ended terribly. It unleashed another seasons many years later trying to wrap things up properly and, well... Meh.
Other shows fail when they try to deviate from the original setting and just go to a muchh lamer setting with far less potential and no consistent connection.
Handmaid's tale nails all of these things. The final wraps things up in a loop, to say things as vaguely as possible without spoilers.
The overall dystopian concept is a pretty unique take but one that anyone can very clearly see as possible, as it addresses current world problems: Fertility crisis, totalitarian regimes suppressing and raping women (reminiscent of Pakistan, Afghanistan, ISIS and that ilk), a breakdown of allied nations, and quite a bit more.
The acting is for the most part phenomenal but not just in a 'good acting' kinda way, but the cast selection is particularly suitable. Nobody is unrealistically attractive for their roles as birthing machines for example.
A terrible example of this is a fairly recent movie Prey, in which some native Americans thousands upon thousands of years ago encounter the Spanish colonizers and the Predator. The main character, however, looks like she came straight out of her walk-in closet in a rich Los Angeles neighbourhood. It was so unconvincing that I just... I couldn't enjoy the movie. Pretty face, smooth skin, every angle throughout the movie like a carefully crafted tiktok video. Tiny dinty arms AND YET, she basically performed better than Schwartzenegger himself - an absolute BEAST, and the BEST of the BEST of the military.
Just not buying it.
In contrast, it's not that the actors in Handmaid's tale are UGLY, per se, but they are willing to be ugly when the time arises for such an occasion, heavy strain, panic, yelling with passion, fear.
Without giving too much away,here's a great moment:
Not exactly pretty! But who cares, that was a WOW moment. We went back to watch it again it was so fun. The human face is not in its 'pretty shape' most of the time. It's time people accepted that!
Here's a better angle by comparison:
The cast can make or break a show, for real. Mad respect for these ones!
Anyway, just a short one. I don't want to make this a formal review giving too much away. I just think it's a great one to watch, especially as a couple.
9/10!
PS: Absolutely love this guy's aura and style. I can only hope to look as and act as suave as him at that stage in my life:
